Monthly Archives: August 2014

You can’t outrun your past. The flames will hunt you until you’re found. You must embrace it, learn from it, and allow it to help you grow into who you’re meant to be.

Celeste knows that she cannot leave her past behind. It has scorched a dark path through her present and future. As she tries to deal with the demons that haunt her and come to terms with who she really is, she realizes what true fear is. And it’s not Dean Marcus. The fear that consumes her thoughts is Ian, for their love and for their life.

You know your past has shaped you but you refuse to bend to its will. That is when the flames of the past will find you and take their revenge.

Ian knows the truth and his love remains strong. He wants nothing more than to protect his future and his love at all costs. He has the woman that he loves in his arms. His greatest desire is to make her his wife. When more betrayal strikes at his heart, will he be able to overcome those that seek to harm him and the woman that he loves?

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About The Author

S.M. Lynn has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with an English specialization. She resides in small town Nebraska with her husband and two children. She writes contemporary romance leaning toward the erotic but enjoys mixing in elements of suspense. She works with her husband’s financial firm, when she’s able to be torn away from writing and reading. She enjoys traveling, watching Vampire Diaries and much more.

Yesterday, I posted a review of DL Atha’s new releases and the interview conducted by Wendy Ewurum on her blog, Fabulosity Reads.

Today, I want to write about the books from a personal point of view of the books.

(If you are interested in reading about the books and finding more about DL and her work, take a look at two posts that I made yesterday. And I’ve also included links to find the books on Amazon.)

“Blood Release” by DL Atha
Amazon $2.99
*Available on Kindle

Blood Reaction is a book that has quite a fascinating backdrop to it. I mean imagine, being a woman that is a Mother, Physician and Farmer. Three incredibly different fields of work. You long to be in a quiet environment. Something different from your day to day norm. Then, you finally get the chance, to enjoy your farm, the animals, the peace and quiet and everything about farm life. Then, the unthinkable.

You suffer a home invasion, of the supernatural sort!

What’s a mind to do? How could you possibly deal with that?

It reminds me of the question that has been asked for the ages. Do you believe in life on other planets? Do you believe that there could be aliens? And if so, what do you think they’d be like?

Well, whether Annalice wondered this or not, I’m sure that she didn’t bargain for what happened. Do to this, she not only has to fight for her life, but also the life of her daughter! Imagine that for a moment.

Parents that adore their children, will already do anything they can for them. To be happy and to be safe. But, what if you were faced with something like this? How would you even know how to combat this? How would you be able to mount up the offense to save your child and yourself?

In this read, you’ll find out. DL really created a book and dialogue that only a mastermind can come up with.

“For the Sake of Revenge”
Available on Kindle on Amazon
$2.99
In this book, we find the leading lady Tamera, in a quite the conundrum. She is faced, with the serious urge to seek revenge for a horrible wrong, suffered by her. Upon returning to Sitka, Alaska, Tamera is reminded of the sadness that leaving her mother and boyfriend brought to her. Not only did she not have her boyfriend, Peter, but she lost her mother. Even it is believed to be an accident, Tamera knows that this isn’t the case. She knows who’s responsible and she wants to make them pay.

This is where the vampire comes in. Tamera meets this vampire named Adrik and asks him to help her get revenge on the person that got to her mother and killed her.

Reading, I began to think as I often do, when I read. (That’s how you know that it’s a good book!) The age old phrase, “Revenge is so sweet”, can sometimes be overrated. Sometimes, it’s absolutely ridiculous. It doesn’t fix anything. It’s pretty much like a band aid. You have it there, to help you heal. But, no matter what, the pain is still there. The cut is still there. The wound is still there. So, all it is, is a temporary fix. Not permanent at all. And that literally causes more problems.

Now, obviously for something like this, all you’d want to do is get justice. All you’d want, is for that person to suffer as much as you have. But, here with Tamera, we see a woman badly scorned and aching to for relief. And she sees Adrik, as that point of relief. She sees Adrik as her answer. But, does she get the relief that she is seeking? Will Adrik be the answer or will a twist happen? Will he end up being the Man she will fall for? Will this love, make her forget about her desire for revenge and help her to enjoy the passionate desire for this vampire?

DL Atha has done an outstanding job, putting these books together. She’s made some realistic situations, take off, into supernatural worlds. Not an easy task, but she makes it look and seem effortless. I am grateful to be able to review her books and to promote them here on my blog. And thank you, to Wendy Ewurum! For introducing me to it and DL, and for including me and my blog in another great tour.

(For more information about the books, look at my two previous posts and DL Atha and her books. You can also see the interview with DL and Wendy! Check them out and enjoy!)

Wendy: We are promoting your two book on this blog. Can you tell us a little more about them?

DL: Blood Reaction is the story of a single female physician who suffers a supernatural home invasion. In order to survive, she has to dig deep inside of her self and her medical training to save not only her own life, but her child’s life as well. It’s a story of the love of a mother for her child and as betrayal and the budding of romance.

Wendy: Blood Reaction is a vampire novel that has a very strong medical theme, what made you decide on that route?

DL: As a physician, I see things first as a scientist and I can certainly see the possibilities of what is “paranormal” now as “science” in the future. Plus it’s easier to write about the familiar.

Wendy: Blood Reaction is also the first in a series, what can we look forward to next?

DL: Annalice, the main character, has to face her new future in the second installment. She was somewhat judgmental in some ways of Asa, the vampire. She’s about find out that his life is not easy as she thought. Plus, she meets a hot new vampire.

Wendy: One of the things that I love most about your writings, is how tightly knit the plot is, you introduce the right amount of detail at just the right time and your characters used sparingly for a specific purpose and the result to me is an uncluttered novel ….I’d like you to tell us a little about your writing style.

DL: With Blood Reaction, I really wanted the reader to feel the isolation of the main character. To feel as though they were right there in that farmhouse. I never truly described her physical appearance so that the reader would picture themselves or to someone, whom they can relate.

Wendy: What other styles do you write in?

DL: I also write some medical non-paranormal thrillers, but paranormal is my favorite!

Wendy: How do you deal with Writer’s Block?

DL: When I have writer’s block, it is essential that I have time to myself. Just to think and imagine. I do a lot of verbal role playing out loud with my characters, which I’m sure sounds strange, but it really helps.

Wendy: Answer the following:

One of my happiest memories:

DL: My happiest moment was my first horse ride. Such Freedom! Such Liberation!

W: My singular eccentricity is:

D: I have to leave one swallow of of whatever I’m drinking in the glass. I have no idea why.

W: I am most productive when:

D: When I’m stressed and sleep deprived.

W: I can’t stand:

D: Seeing food go to waste

W: Writers who have influenced my life and writing are: (Why?)

D: I have always wanted the ability to make a character be so memorable that the reader would feel like they actually knew that person. Margaret Mitchell only wrote One book. But, after I read it, I would have sworn Scarlett ‘O’ Hara had been my next door neighbor. That is Talent.

Blood Reaction is about a woman named Annalice, whom is a Physician and a Mother. She is ready to have a distraction from the medical field behind and she wants to immerse herself in the normal activities of her farm. However, she becomes a victim to a vicious invasion. Not of burglary, but of the supernatural. Her home and her life falls prey to a Vampire by the name of Asa, who is a century old.

Annalice is forced to make an impossible decision. She must make a bargain, for her daughter’s life. And facing threats against her daughter’s life, she must rely on her skills as a Physician to overcome the challenges. Annalice finds herself looking for one thing…the Blood Reaction.

How far will Tamera go for the mere sake of Revenge? And who would pay the price? She had no idea, as she tipped the bottle of Vampire blood up to her lips. But, she was definitely about to discover the answers to those questions.

As she stepped off of the ferry in Sitka, Alaska, there bittersweet memories awaiting her. Ten years ago, she’d left her mother and her high school sweetheart, Peter, to marry a man that barely knew, only to find herself in a horrific, abusive relationship. She was finally able to escape the relationship, but now she has lost her mother.

The police believed that it was an accident, however Tamera is convinced that her husband was to blame and that she is his next victim. Soon after, Tamera finds the blood of a Vampire named Adrik, whom when human, was falsely accused of raping a Russian heiress and ex-communicated from the church. And as such, he willingly condemned himself to vampirism.

Tamera seeks the buried vampire, in hopes of making a deal. His freedom for her revenge. Will she get her wish? Will Adrik join forces with Tamera for the ultimate revenge?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~About the Author~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DL Atha has the good fortune of being a born and raised native of rural western Arkansas, and she still resides there with her husband and three children, where they enjoy the farm life. She earned her MD in 1999 and currently enjoys the practice of hospital medicine and wound care, which performs full time in a nearby town.

Currently, she’s working on the sequel to “Blood Reaction”

And “For the Sake of Revenge” is the first book that she’s penned, that is a non-medical book.

Her personal list of Favorites, would include: Chocolate, anything old, especially old houses, gardening and horses.

Tonight, I watched “Think like a Man” and indeed it was an amazing movie! Written beautifully and acted out beautifully. Watching this movie got me to thinking. I started thinking about relationships and love and it all works. It also got me to thinking about the reasons why I haven’t been in a relationship ever! Here’s the basic rundown of what’s got me here. It’s basically a confessional,So, here goes.

Starting out as a late bloomer, I didn’t get interested in men on a deeper level until I turned 21. I got my first kiss when I was 21, from one my oldest friends. And I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what I was doing and I thought that I was going to go into shock when it happened. He knew what he was doing, trust me. I just felt like I was screwing it up until later, when he told me that I hadn’t. But, I still think that he was being nice. Anyway, I had a crush on my neighbor who was ten years older than I am, and being the outspoken nut that I am, I told him. He’s not married or living with anyone. But, I just wanted him to know. Now, I’ve known him for many years as well.

This was all so confusing to me. Having a crush on my neighbor, but getting my first kiss from another one of my close friends. Just crazy, right? I mean, for most people this was amateur hour. Anyway, I have always liked the guy that I couldn’t have. Either he was older and a bad boy/thug, (By the way, I just hate that word. Thug. It sounds the sound that a big sack of potatoes make, when it hits the ground!) or the guy was my age and a bad boy/thug. So, as you can see, what fascinates me is Bad Boys/Thugs. But, my heart is with Gentlemen. I love a guy that pulls out the chair, opens the door, compliments the lady, etc.

But, One thing that I have a problem with, Trust. I don’t Men the way that I want to, the way that I wish I could. I want to be able to have that relationship where I could be to have a good time and relax. Enjoy myself. I would love to be able to trust men. But, because of my parents’ marriage, he took away my trust. He lied to me, disappointed me and kept me from being to trust him, because I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t know how that effected me until now. Now, I am 26 and I want to have a boyfriend. There are days when I want to be able to share my concerns and my wishes with a guy. Maybe have some lunch and compare notes of the day. Then, there are nights when all I want is a hug. A Big Bear Hug! That’s it. I’m not asking for much.

But, here’s the concern. I don’t want to be that girl that makes a guy scared to be with. Because my concern is that, if the guy does something stupid that I hate, that I will let all of that anger towards my Father, come out and attack my boyfriend. I can’t make another man, pay for the mistakes of him. I can’t do it, it’s not fair. And I don’t want to be a labeled as the girl with the “Daddy Issues”. I mean, let’s face it. I couldn’t blame him for leaving me, if I let my personal issues to consume me.

So, that’s something that I’ve got to work on. I don’t want to miss out on great things, because of my trust issues. I’ve already missed out on so much and I don’t want to miss out on the best.

You know, I can’t believe how much this movie made me think about my life, my worries, my outlook on relationships. I want the relationship to the right one and I want to enter into it, with a clear mind and not bound by and with issues. So, I will definitely try to do better.

I just hope that my issues won’t haunt me. But, that it will help me to grow.

Have you looked at your favorite bloggers that have taken their blogs to the ultimate levels and made careers out of them? Have you ever seen someone like Ariana Huffington, who created “The Huffington Post” and is now of the most sought after and followed blogs out there? How about one of my personal favorites, Ree Drummond? “The Pioneer Woman” herself. How she started a blog just hoping to share pictures with her Mom, and instead it turned into this business that includes training herself to be a Brilliant Photographer and #1 New York Times Bestselling Authors!

Wow, right?

How many of you are fascinated by these stories and wish that yours would someday be a major blog that people will love? Or how many of you hope to turn yours into a business? Yes, I think that a lot of us do. But, I’m sure that many of us have done research, trying to figure out the secret. Is there a secret? Is there a secret that we haven’t learned yet and we need to know?

Well, I wondered, too. So, I researched everything that I could. From checking out books from the library on blogging and online marketing to googling information to reading blogs. Hoping to be able to pick up some tips. And my Blogging home, BlogHer, has some brilliant bloggers. People that are really fascinating and great to learn from and talk to.

I just wanted to know what I needed to do in order to become a better blogger. Now, that I’ve been blogging for a year now, I’ve learned quite a lot about blogging and I would like to share some of these lessons. Now, to many of you, this is beginner stuff. But, I really wanted to just share some of what I’ve learned, just in case there are readers that are getting into blogging for the first time.

*Don’t be scared to create a Blog! Even if you feel that you have nothing to say!

This is one of the things that I dealt with when I got started. Mom, whom is the one that got us all hooked on “The Pioneer Woman”, suggested that I start a blog. I was very hesistant. Seeing as how, I was a homeschooled kid, an only child and I had no friends that I’d hang out with. Plus, I’ve always been a homebody that leads a very sheltered life. So, I asked her, Who would want to read anything I’d have to write? And what would I write about? And she said, Well, you never know. Ree homeschools her kids and you never how many people out there might be homeschoolers, too. So share your story.” So I thought about it. And when I say I thought about it, I mean, I really thought about it. A couple of months later, I decided to take the plunge and start a blog. On August 11th, 2013, I made my first post. As usual, I was on Ree’s blog and I saw the “BlogHer” ad. For the first time, I clicked it. And things were never the same. I checked it out, loved what I saw and found that this was a great site to be a part of. And I am glad that I clicked on it. “My very first post was entitled, “Mom said this was a Good idea!”

*Before you create a blog, do some research. Look at other blogs. But, only for inspiration.

Before I start a blog, I found Ree’s blog. And I read it everyday. I didn’t stop reading it. I would look at the photography and the way each piece was written. I thought that blogging as complicated. I thought that blogging would be far more challenging. I wasn’t wrong. Blogging is challenging. It’s not the simplest tasks you’ll ever take on. But, I also had no idea what it takes to put a blog together. I found out about domains and I thought that I had to buy a domain. And since I was unemployed, I didn’t have the money for it. Then, I found out that you can create blogs and those still get publish on the internet. So, I decided to look into it. That’s when I found WordPress. And putting it together wasn’t difficult as I thought. By looking at other blogs, I found how important the Visual is. I didn’t know this. But, pretty much every incredibly popular blog has photographs and other colorful visuals. And some, has visuals through the words that they write. Some create clear pictures, based upon the words that they use and how they use them. Don’t Copy Anybody Else’s Blogging Ideas! Be innovative and come up with your own. Be inspired,but, don’t be a thief! Read blogs and research. Then, figure out how and what visuals will represent your blog.

*Figure out the type of Blog you want to have or if you want your blog to be organic.

Sometimes, the best things in life, are free hand. Not complicated and over analyzed. Not questioned. You feel it and let it be what it wants to be. Then, there are those people like me, that are used to having a plan, an outline. I love having thing organized and knowing exactly what I have to do at a specific time. But, with blogging, I found that to be complicated. I mean with blogging,unless you’ve planned a head, is kind of an organic thing. It’s one of those things where you think you’ve got it down, then the post changes course. And you realize that you’ve got to just roll with it and let it be. Just don’t try to micromanage everything. Just let the post do what it’s going to do. And in these cases, I’ve found myself pretty happy with it. So, sometimes it’s best, to just let things take their natural course and have some laughs along the way. But, if you’re going to blog about a specific thing like Fashion or Food, then make sure that you’re passionate about it and that you are willing to come with new ideas that will excite your readers. You want to them to always come to you, when they’ve got a question or they just want to see what’s new. That’s what keeps your blog followed and appreciated, and fresh.

Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, even though your blog was. Your following isn’t.

One of the things that you must keep in mind, is that your blog is not going to rock the blogosphere in one evening! You’ve got to give yourself time to get it together. You’ve got to give your mind time and your blog time to develop. You’ve got to understand that it’s important to have great content and visuals. But, it’s not going to happen for you overnight. It’s going to take time and you’re going to have to allow that. Blogs are fanstastic, but they are a lot of work. It’s not going to be easy. But, it will be well worth it. It will be something that we can look on and see the effort and attention to detail paid, Believe it or not, these are the points that matter. So, keep it up. Don’t quit. Even when things get challenging, keep going. Trust me. We’ll all get discouraged and those days will come when you feel like nobody’s reading. But, they are. Believe me, they are.

Understand your market. And know how to market your blog and where.

You never know just challenging things can get, until you begin trying to get traffic to your blog. Now, in case you don’t know, Social Media will be your friend. Whenever you complete a post, you need to get on it right then and post it on all of your social media outlets. Don’t hold back. Put it on everything. Get the word out and don’t be afraid to link or tag some people in it, in order to read your post. Since people are on social media throughout the day, re-post it. Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying annoy people with it. But, just let them know that you are excited about sharing this post with them and you’d appreciate it if they gave it a read. Like Mom said, you’d be surprised at who would be interested in reading what you have got to say.

See, all of these things that I’ve shared with you, are some of the secrets that so many bloggers start learning and they just keep going. They just keep blogging and learning and growing, etc. Blogging is a never ending job. But, it’s one of the most exciting things as well. knowing that something that takes you about ten minutes to create, can end up being so amazing! I love blogging and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I can’t believe it’s been a year already. So much as happened in my blogging life. I wasn’t expecting to become a book reviewer, but now, I am reviewing books for both Tracee Ford and Wendy Ewurum! I feel so privileged and I know that the best is yet to come.

When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department. But, she didn’t know thenwhat she knows now: there’s a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning.

So with the help of a disaffected vampire and an ex-cop addict, Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government, and, in the process, help win the for the human race.

But can she maintain her own humanity in the process? Or will Cami find herself, along with the rest of the world, pulled under a darkness she cannot oppose?

~~~~~~~~~~~About the Author~~~~~~~~~
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She has published a number of novels, including Taming the Country Star, Legally UnDead, Waking Up Dead, and Fairy, Texas. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoil pets. Although writing fiction is her love, she also teaches college-level English course online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villians, and the strong women who love them—–and sometimes fight them.